Hoffman Estates Park District Wins Grant and Two Prestigious Awards at Illinois Association of Park Districts
The Hoffman Estates Park District (HE Parks) was presented two awards at the Illinois Association of Park Districts' (IAPD) Annual Awards Gala on October 21: The Helen Doria Arts in the Park Award and Best Green Practices Award.
The Arts in the Park Award is named in memory of Helen Doria, who was appointed by Mayor Richard M Daley as the first Executive Director for Millennium Park and was also a cultural programmer for the Chicago Park District. The award "recognizes [recreation] agencies that support the arts and partner with artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in their communities," according to the IAPD website. New this year, the award included a $2,500 grant from the Illinois Art Alliance. The grant money will be used by HE Parks to fund entertainment for children in the summer of 2017 as part of its Friday Fun in the Park series.
The Friday Fun series is made available to the community through a joint partnership with the Hoffman Estates Arts Commission and Village of Hoffman Estates. In addition to the children's series, HE Parks and its partners also offer "Summer Sounds on the Village Green". In 2016, through a partnership with the Village Cultural Commission, the Party the Park event proudly included multi-cultural entertainers including Irish dancers, Japanese drummers, Indian and Mexican dancers.
"Cultural offerings are nothing new to HE Parks, which has a long history of supporting the arts and local culture," said Mike Kies, director of recreation and facilities. "It started in 1978 when a group called Theater Northwest held community plays and performances in the Vogelei Barn, and dance lessons began in the mid-1980s. This was just the beginning."
Since then, HE Parks has grown its dance program and added figure skating, baton, pom, summer camps, drawing, painting and trips to cultural events through diverse programming.
Live music is featured at several community events. Through partnerships with local art organizations HE Parks offers lessons in guitar, drum and piano plus singing programs and classes in painting and drawing for kids.
HE Parks also won IAPD's Best Green Practices Award, which is presented to agencies for "environmentally-friendly business practices and policies."
"HE Parks has always been concerned for its natural areas and our environment, said Mike Bickham, park board president for HE Parks. "In 2008, we stepped up our efforts to be a green organization when we established a Green Team to seek out ways to reduce the park district's carbon footprint and embrace the 'park' in park district."
The Green Team established a Natural Area Management Plan in 2010 and in 2012 the park district was recognized for its efforts by the Village of Hoffman Estates with the Green Business Award. The Natural Area Management Plan, which is made available to the community on the park district's website, includes a plan for wildlife conservation, innovative ways of controlling invasive species, community engagement and green facilities.
"This award recognizes our effort our Green Team has put toward our Natural Area Management Plan and so many other green initiatives," said Dean Bostrom, HE Parks' executive director. "We are honored to accept both of these awards."